Janssen to Work with HHS on Coronavirus Vaccine, Vows to Manufacture It

February 21, 2020

Janssen Pharmaceuticals is joining forces with HHS to develop a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 and the Johnson and Johnson subsidiary is prepared to produce it on a large scale.

The company will share research and development costs with HHS’ Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to get its investigational vaccine to clinical trials.

Janssen said it will expand its manufacturing capabilities for the vaccine candidate the same way it handled its BARDA-supported Ebola vaccine candidate, which is currently being used to fight the Ebola outbreak that began in the Congo.

J&J is also in talks with “other partners” to make any potentially viable vaccine product accessible to China and other impacted countries.